Her son has cerebral palsy - and a gold medal!

‘Well done Angus!’ I cried. My 10-year-old boy had just won a gold medal and my heart was full of pride.

Angus’ birth was extremely difficult as he became stuck during labour. Finally delivered with forceps, he was handed to me blue and floppy. I held him for a few precious moments before he was whisked away to intensive care.

My husband Stuart, 47, and I were devastated to learn Angus had suffered brain damage. He had cerebral palsy and would face a life of seizures, gastrointestinal problems and difficulty moving.

Starting therapy with Angus, we did as much as we could and slowly but surely he defied expectations and now we can’t keep up with him!

Angus having an EEG scan as part of his therapy.

Natalie Hincksman

He likes to swim and surf and has developed a love of running after joining me for jogs. But when his school asked if he’d like to join the cross-country team, I was stunned.

That’s when Novita, an organisation offering disability services for kids, suggested Angus could run in disabled categories. He was assessed as a T38 athlete, a category for those with high-functioning cerebral palsy or similar conditions. ‘I’m on a level playing field now, Mum,’ Angus explained. ‘I have a fair chance to win.’ And he has!